Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1887-06-05

are as sensitive as school girls about their
profession. and it greatly conduces to
passengers comfort not to have the
slightest mixing of the meaning Of sea
jargon. 1t is not particularly reconcile,
but they like to keep it a secret; though,
with Dana and Russell to fall back upon,
the jargon soon becomes ineligible.
Our first event happened in the inside
of Madeira. So far it had all been sue
cessful sailing, and we had glided into
summer seas, with their silver shoals of
flying fish, their darting bonitos and
blowing whales, without pause. Then
came long pause. when the wind went
off the face of the sea and the Al lay
with her sails tapping dismally. And
an inconceivably dismal period in a calm,
even within sight of the loveliest of
islands. We were not, however, near
enough to pick out details; we could
just see Madeira in the outlines pre-
sented to the imagination in a dream;
a penciling done against an infinite can
vas Of azure. All hands went about
whistlng for wind 1t seemed as if we
might lie there forever with 1870 feet of
snowy canvas wooing the gales in vain.
1t was mighty relief, therefore, to hear
voice eXclaim, one afternoon. Turtle
on the port bow, sir. Out came the
spy glasses, and sure enough there was
huge shell ascending and descending with
the waves, about quarter of a mile off.
In twinkling a boat was got into the
water, and | had seat in it with the
mate, to see what we could make of the
brute. Much excitement was visible on
board the y as we rowed within range,
but not more than in the boat. A turtle
is a stolid kind of animal when he is sun
ming himself on the surface of the waves;
but he is sensitive when he is alarmed,
and sinks out of sight with much velocity.
This turtle was fast asleep, and made no
more signs of motion than a log. An in
stant's alarm, however, and he would be
gone. So we had to mufile oars, and
imperceptibly drift toward him; now
losing sight of him, and again having
him well in view on the top of a wave.
a rope with a moose was the projected
plan for sharing him, but the nearer we
came, the more impractcable it looked.
Two German lads posted themselves in the
bow. and in state of subdued excitement,
murmuring fatherland explanations, got
their orders to turn the turtle on his
back, if possible, but in any case to hold
on to him for their lives He was still
sleeping when the boat came within an
oar of him, and by the next movement
of wave the stolid shell hoated to the
bow. The lads turned him over and had
him well on the gunwales, when one of
them took the turtles place in the sea,
going in headforemost.
"Ah, he can schvimm!'' roared a COM
panion, leaping to the turtle and bring
ing him aboard. The lad scrambled in
afterward. looking desperately ashamed
of himself. The turtle was toothsome
enough in appearance to make the united
| corporation of London rub its paunch
with appreciation. He had a beak like
an eagle, a beautiful birds eye, and his
scraggy, weather worn neck betokened
long experience of sleeping in the sun
light. He was the biggest l had ever
seen, and was found to be 10 pounds in
weight. He chung convulsively to the
bottom of the boat with his beak until
two others of less weight were put be-
side him. For a week we had turtle
soup, turtle pie, turtle patties, until
my gorge rose at them, and l
begged to be allowed to have a basin
|
day we began to do our "westing" with
a fair wind, and got on to the equator
exactly month after starting from the
Mersey. Pleasanter motion cannot be
had. No noise of engines. no vibration,
no belching of smoke, everything clean,
silent, steady. An awning was put up,
and beneath it, with the warm trade
winds blowing, it was possible for hours
at time to read and write with the ut
most enjoyment. The sailors, too, had
little to do except to brace the yards now
and again to keep their lands in,
to mend a sail now and again, to
organize concerts at the forecastle
door, and dance waltzes, as the even
ing came on. On the equator an
other event occurred. We had our first
squat. There were four ships in sight,
all signaling each other; to the windward
of Al fine new bark bound for Ade-
laide, which had crept up ON us during
the night to the disgust Of everybody.
"Is your wife on board:" our flags
asked and got the answer
NO"
'Do you want some stowaways?'
"No."
Report me att the Al was
hosting, when the captain suddenly
dropped his signal book through sky
light, Numbered for all hands on deck,
and began peeling his masts as rapidly
as 1.-The crowd" could work. Other
ships, after an interval, followed suit.
and a glance at the horizon explained
the general precipitation. A hard belly
ing bank of clouds was rolling down at a
rapid pace. In ten minutes it would be
overhead and the mettle of the ship
would be fully tested. 1t was thor
oughly exhilarating moment. There was
anxiety ON every mans face; there was
a shrill shouting from deck to cross
trees and back again, as sail after sail
got rolled up. ''Danger!" called out
some of the lads to each other. Then
came sonnd like the countless hum